Episode 1575 (16 February 1998)
Synopsis Grant walks the dog past the di Marco household as they are moving in, and he ill-naturedly tells them to move the crates off the pavement as it's a public thoroughfare. Beppe says can't he just walk round and Grant replies "Why should I?" The two daughters fight over bedrooms and Rosa installs her cat. Sarah is sulking because Joe forgot to send a Valentine card and Irene tells her to pull herself together and if she wore a scrap of make-up she'd have men falling at her feet. Sarah frowns as usual and ignores her. Tony tells her not to worry, as he didn't get any either. Irene sighs as the kids leave the house, saying she thought having an older brother would be good for Sarah, she could meet his friends when he brought them home. Terry replies "Only the ones he didn't fancy himself." Irene sighs even more! It's not Irene's day, as, when Tony leaves, he lets in a stranger who turns out to be from the DSS checking up on her status as "single". Irene and Terry are hopelessly unprepared and their lies clash as they answer the questions about whether Irene is living there alone and when Terry moved in. The DSS woman tells Irene they can prosecute her for fraud as she has been claiming a single person's allowance, which will stop immediately and they will investigate her claim further. Things are made even worse when Terry reveals he has a job. When she leaves Irene is in a state, saying that her integrity is being doubted and her reputation in the community damaged. Terry replies amused, "What integrity?" and mutters something about pigs flying. He's thrown out and goes to the café looking very miserable. Kathy and Pat discover it's romantic problems, and Kathy says it's not surprising with Irene. Terry asks who she is to talk: she isn't exactly an advert for marital bliss herself. At the Beale household, Kathy does Ian a favour and sends the children off with Cindy. Cindy makes digs about Ian not bothering to take the time off work for it, and Kathy is irritated. Michael teases Matthew about a Valentine card he received. The bishop turns up to tell Alex that he received an anonymous call from a man who told him that Alex was having an affair with a married woman, who was not named. He says that due to the underhand way he got this information, he won't ask Alex if this is true. Alex doesn't respond to this so appears guilty in any case. He gets into a debate about the church and says he helps and counsels people regardless of religion - citing Bianca as a case in point where his dogcollar was a hindrance rather than a help in offering her help. The bishop makes it clear that he thinks Alex's approach is the modern way and he can make the church relevant to the modern community, and he says that if Alex were to leave it would be a great loss to the church. Alex argues why it would be relevant if he had had an affair with a married woman and the bishop points out it wouldn't be practising what they preach, and they would lose trust. Just like every other day, Mark and Ruth argue about Jessie. Julie's ex turns up to tell her that Josh has been missing his Bar Mitzvah tutorials. She says she didn't realise - he was going off to them as usual. They argue a little about her going to Scotland then Julie gets Josh to talk to his father about it. They go to the café and Josh is told that it's his choice, as he's an adult, but if he doesn't do it before he goes to Scotland all the family won't be there to support him. Beppe goes into the Vic with the family and Grant has another dig at him, saying people won't want to go to an Italian here, they go to the West End for that. Peggy tells them to play nicely, and Grant tells her that Beppe needn't think he's safe just because he's a copper. Kathy and Pat discuss her feelings for Alex and Phil and Kathy is now veering back towards choosing Phil. Meanwhile, Alex's father is winding him up - Alex is moaning how guilty he feels for not telling the bishop about his affair, and Jeff sighs that Alex always has to make everything into a big angst. Alex also says that the anonymous phone call sounds just like Ian, and Jeff says he has to tell Kathy what Ian's been doing. The two parallel discussions move later to the Vic where Pat arrives early and Jeff chats to her, asking about Kathy, who walks in and interrupts before anything is really said. Kathy tells Jeff and Alex that she and Pat want a private drink together. Then Kathy tells Pat she's decided that she wants Phil after all, and she plans to invite him over and tell him about Alex, and if he blows his top then this will prove he is still slightly interested in her. A dishevelled tramp arrives at the refuge, too drunk to speak clearly and Alex hands over to Sarah, saying "this is Laura", though it is actually Phil's alky ex-mistress, Lorna. Credits Main cast *Grant Mitchell - Ross Kemp *Beppe di Marco - Michael Greco *Teresa di Marco - Leila Birch *Nicky di Marco - Carly Hillman *Rosa di Marco - Louise Jameson *Sarah Hills - Daniela Denby-Ashe *Irene Hills - Roberta Taylor *Tony Hills - Mark Homer *Terry Raymond - Gavin Richards *Kathy Mitchell - Gillian Taylforth *Pat Evans - Pam St. Clement *Cindy Beale - Michelle Collins *Michael Rose - Russell Floyd *Matthew Rose - Joe Absolom *Alex Healy - Richard Driscoll *Jeff Healy - Leslie Schofield *Mark Fowler - Todd Carty *Ruth Fowler - Caroline Paterson *Peggy Mitchell - Barbara Windsor Guest cast * Lorna Cartwright - Janet Dibley * Josh Saunders - Jon Lee * Eliot Saunders - Lawrence Lambert * Julie Haye - Karen Henthorn Category:Episode Category:1998 Episodes